Archer&#39;s finger protector



A. E. RiTZ EENSON 2,903,701

ARCHERS FINGER PROTECTOR Sept. 15,1959

Filed. Feb. 11, 1958 INVENTOR 24 xv/i ALVIN E Roallvsolv ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,903,701 ARCHERS FINGER PROTECTOR Alvin E. Robinson, Washington, 11C. Application February 11, 1958, Serial No. 714,643

1 Claim. 01. 2-21 The present invention relates to an archers finger protector, and more particularly to such devices which facilitate the smooth release of the bowstring and arrow.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device for simultaneously protecting an archers fingers while providing for a smooth release of the bowstring and arrow.

Another object of the invention is to provide an archers finger protector which is individually applied to each of the fingers used in drawing the bowstring.

A further object of the invention is to provide an archers finger protector which is securely held against dislodgment from the finger during use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an archers finger protector of the class described above which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to use, and which will materially increase the accuracy with which the arrow is loosed by smoothing the path of the bowstring as it leaves the fingers.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the invention shown in place on an archers fingers.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the invention.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the invention showing its relationship to the hand of an archer shown in broken lines.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the invention.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral indicates generally an archers finger protector constructed in accordance with the invention.

In Figure 1, a fragmentary portion of an archers hand is illustrated at 11 having a thumb 12, index finger 13, middle finger 14, ring finger 15, and a little finger 16. An arrow 17 is provided with feathers 18 and a neck 19 at one end thereof.

A bowstring 20 strung on a bow (not shown) is engaged in the nook 19 of the arrow 17 and is held by the index finger 13, middle finger 14, and ring finger in a conventional manner. The bowstring is drawn rearwardly by the hand 11 in order to project the arrow 17, positioned between the index finger 13 and middle finger 14, through the air when loosed by disengaging the fingers 13, 14 and 15 from the bowstring 20.

The fingers 13, 14 and 15 are each provided with one of the finger protectors 10 which comprise an elongated arcuate body 21 having a band 22 integrally secured to the opposite side edges thereof intermediate the opposite ends thereof, and a second hand 23 integrally secured to one end of the body 21. The end of the body 21 opposite the band 23 is rounded as at 24 to eliminate sharp corners and the peripheral edge 25 thereof may be either rounded or feathered to comfortably fit the finger of the archer.

The finger protector 10 at the end thereof opposite the rounded end 24 is provided with a concave cut out 26, as best seen in Figures 3 and 4, for reasons to be assigned.

The body 21 between the band 22 and the rounded end 24 tapers upwardly and rearwardly to join the band 22 at 27 on each side thereof. The body 21 between the bands 22, 23 terminates on its opposite sides in concave portions 28, 29, as best seen in Figure 3.

The finger protector 10 is formed of plastic of any desired type. The plastic Tygon has been found to be especially effective. Tygon is a plasticized polyvinyl chloride which provides a flexible plastic material having a low coefficient of friction and which is tough as well as being resilient. The body 21 may be formed by casting, injection molding, or by cutting a piece of tubular plastic of the correct size to the form desired. The bands 22, 23 are of substantially the same size being sufficiently large to encompass the finger of an archer.

In the use and operation of the invention, the finger protector 111 is positioned on one of the fingers 13, 14 and 15 with the band 23 arranged closest to the hand 11 at the juncture of the fingers 13, 14 and 15 with the hand 11. The fingers 13, 14 and 15 each have a first joint adjacent the tip of the finger, a second joint spaced inwardly therefrom and a third joint connecting the finger to the palm. The concave cut out 26 in the body 21 is positioned on the inner side of the hand 11 and prevents binding of the body 21 with the hand 11 as the hand is bent during the use of the protector 10. The band 22 is positioned between the first and second joints of the fingers 13, 14- and 15' with the rounded end 24 of the body 21 extending to the ball of the ends of the fingers 13, 14 and 15.

With the finger protectors 11 in the position illustrated in Figure 1, the outer surface of the body 21 engages the bowstring 20 so that the fingers 13, 14 and 15 are prevented from engaging the bowstring 20. As the fingers 13, 14 and 15 are relaxed to release the bowstring 2t) therefrom, the smooth surface of the finger protectors 10 will permit the bowstring 211 to leave the fingers 13, 14 and 15 smoothly without hindrance or vibration. Furthermore, the termination of the body 21 at the ball of the fingers 13, 14 and 15 prevents the body 21 from being slapped against the ends of the fingers by the rapid passage of the bowstring thereover.

With the bands 22, 23 in the position illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 an outward pull on the end 24 of the protector 113 in a direction parallel to the axis of the protector 10 will pull on the lower side only of the band 23, causing the band 23 to cam into locking engagement with the finger 13 and bind the protector 10 thereto. The force from the release of a bowstring 20 is such that the protector 10 is locked to the finger 13, as described above. When it is desired to remove the protector 10, the band 23 is grasped and moved'bodily off of the finger 13. The camming action of the band 23 is created by the relatively narrow connection of the band 23 with the band 22, which permits the band 23 to swing, or pivot, relative to the band 22.

In the prior art archery gloves, the fingers 13, 14 and 15 were protected by leather surfaces which were quickly grooved by the bowstring 20 so that a smooth releasing thereof could not be effected after the first few times the glove was used. With the instant invention, there is no grooving and such negligible wear that the bowstring 20 is effectively and smoothly loosed throughout a great number of uses of the finger protectors 10.

The arrangement of the bands 22, 23 is such that the body 21 of the protectors 10 is securely held on the fingers 13, 14 and 15 and can only be removed by sliding the bands 22, 23 thereon. The tapering of the body 21 from the rounded end 24 to the band 22 assists in preventing the body 21 from twisting with respect to the fingers 13, 14 and 15 out of the desired position.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A finger protector for archers comprising an elongated arcuate body formed of a tough flexible resilient plastic having a low coefiicient of friction, a first band integrally joined to one end of said body, a second band integrally joined to opposite side edges of said body intermediate said first band and the opposite end of said body and spaced from the opposite end of said body, said bands being adapted to encompass the finger of an archer with said first band positioned on the finger adjacent the juncture of the finger and the palm and inwardly of the second joint, said second band being positioned on the finger between the first and second joints thereof with said bands &

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 617,929 Fowble Jan. 17, 1899 1,710,371 McDonnell Apr. 23, 1929 1,755,014 Morrison Apr. 15, 1930 1,863,960 Aronson June 21, 1932 1,980,635 Rasmussen et a1 Nov. 13, 1934 2,717,799 Jones Sept. 13, 1955 20 2,740,121 Seidel Apr. 3, 1956 

